The applicant's dissertation research will be conducted on a topic related to racial/ethnic health disparities in cancer prevention and control. Ms. Hudson's interest in this topic stems from her desire to help in the effort to reduce and/or eliminate the gap that exists for U.S. populations of color. Her work experience as project coordinator for the Wellness for African Americans through Churches (ACS) and as a research assistant for both the NC Strategies for Improving Diet, Exercise, and Screening (NCI) and Health Communications and Cancer Control collaborative study (NCI) has provided her with significant experience in developing culturally appropriate health education materials, program implementation, and evaluation strategies. This background has served to hone her research focus around cancer prevention issues, specifically cancer communication methodologies. Social support/lay health advisor approach, tailored print communication, and tailored telephone counseling are strategies that interest the applicant. Since she has not begun her first year of the doctoral program, her advisor has recommended that she further explore research areas of interest before selecting a specific topic for her dissertation. To this end, she has begun to review the literature on cancer communication strategies for the approaches listed above with a focus on health disparities among African Americans. Additionally, she is exploring research opportunities available at the University and nearby institutions. Ms. Hudson plans to select a specific dissertation topic and develop her research proposal during the second year in the doctoral program.